This invention relates to a device for forming chords on a stringed musical instrument of the type having a fingerboard.
The formation of chords by pressing selected strings against the fingerboard at selected positions while plucking, strumming or even bowing the strings is a skill requiring strength and dexterity, and a great deal of dedicated practice to acquire. In addition, the fingertips which press the strings have to harden before the instrument can be played for any length of time without discomfort. These factors are sufficient to discourage many from even starting to learn.
Various proposals have been made to assist to replace the fingering action. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,945 (Pettijohn) discloses a hand-held chord fingering device comprising an especially shaped, rigid and generally palm sized body having oblong fingering pads in a pre-determined pattern, the pads being spaced apart along the fingerboard, and the rearmost being a complete bar of all the strings. By sliding the device laterally across the strings, different chords can be formed. Considerable skill is still required to use the device; subtle variations in the position of the device can produce very different chords. Another example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,682 (Bozung), which provides adjustable string depresser bars. Again, the use of the device requires skill, and setting up the adjustable depresser bars is probably beyond the ability of a novice player. DE 42 33 041 discloses a bottleneck device for use when playing the guitar. It comprises a tube into which a finger can be inserted, and a channel member mounted ahead of the tube and on to which another finger can be pressed to rotate the channel member into contact with one or more strings to give the sliding tone effect of the bottle neck. It does not provide an alternative way of forming chords, but is for use by experienced guitarists.
The present invention provides a device which is simple to use, while providing a wide range of chords.
According to the invention, there is provided a device for forming chords on stringed musical instruments of the type having a fingerboard, the device comprising first means for pressing a plurality of strings on to the fingerboard at a chosen position along the fingerboard, and second means forward of the first means for engaging at least one string, characterised by third means rearward of the first means for pressing at least one string against the fingerboard, whereby the device may be rocked in one direction about said first means such that the second means can raise the pitch of at least one string and in the other direction about the first means such that the third means can engage at least one string so that the pitch of said string is lower relative to the pitch achievable by pressing said string at the chosen position.
Preferably, the device comprises a bar for pressing a plurality of strings on to the fingerboard at the chosen position along the fingerboard, means projecting forward of the bar for pressing at least one string ahead of the bar when the device is rocked about the bar, means projecting rearwardly of the bar, or a further rearmost bar which depresses all the strings behind the bar, for pressing at least one string behind the bar when the device is rocked in the opposite direction about the bar, and at least one groove rearwardly of the bar such that, as the bar is rocked, a respective string is released from the bar.
The device may be arranged to be held in the fingers of one hand of the player of the instrument. In one embodiment, the device has a hollow section into which at least one of the player""s fingers may be inserted, to permit the device to be manipulated in the manner of a guitar xe2x80x98bottle neckxe2x80x99. Such a device may be slightly conical along its length to compensate for the difficulty of the player applying even pressure across the width of the fingerboard. Alternatively, or additionally, it may comprise a flexible resilient material which moulds itself to the finger or fingers inside the tube or on the topmost outer surface of the generator and resumes its original shape when the finger of fingers is or are removed.
The device may be made of any solid material, but is conveniently formed of a plastics material, and this material may be transparent to assist the player in placing the device correctly on the fingerboard. The correct vertical alignment of the device can be indicated by marks on the underside, visible through the transparent body of the device. At least a surface layer of the device may be formed of an elastomeric material to act as a damper, while the components which project forwardly or rearwardly of the bar to depress strings in front of or behind the bar may be provided with gripping faces, for example of the same elastomeric material, to contact the strings and ensure that good contact is made without any tendency of the strings to buzz when plucked, strummed or bowed.
The device may comprise individual contact members mountable in selected positions on a body portion, for example, by sliding the contact members into grooves in the underside of the body portion. The contact members may be formed of resilient plastics material, for example, elastomer, and may be formed with voids therein to increase compressibility, thereby assisting the contact members to press the strings evenly over a curved fingerboard.
While the device of the invention is especially suitable for use with guitars and similar instruments, it may be used with other stringed instruments having a fingerboard, for example the violin family of instruments. The device can be made in a range of different sizes to accommodate different fingerboard widths and to take account of different numbers of strings, and of different shapes to accommodate fingerboards which are not flat across their widths, for example those of the violin family of instruments. The device can be made for use from the top of the fingerboard to the bottom generating the same family of chords at each fret point, without alteration or adjustment, in various transpositions.
Grooves are preferably formed with rounded sides to accommodate sideways movement across the strings. The grooves may be provided by means of press-off or other readily removable components.
The projections forwardly and rearwardly may be formed by slot-in or other readily added components, or by selectively removing integrally-moulded projections to provide the desired combination. The projections may be shaped so as to have a slightly greater diameter towards each end thereof compared with the centre, so as to tend to guide a string towards the centre before pressure is applied, ensuring correct positioning.
To assist the user, tuning pipes may be provided with the device to set the tunings in accordance with the particular configuration of the device. The user may also be provided with stickers to attach to the fingerboard to denote the chords.
Different gauge strings may be used to restring existing instruments to create the optimum sound for each different opening tuning.
A plurality of the devices may be attached together to form a cylinder providing many different chord arrangements in one device.
A strap, a grip or a glove which is attached to the device may be provided to help hold the device evenly on the fingerboard.
A ratchet system may be provided to create grooves when the rearward nodules are pushed into position.
A nodules may be cylindrical in shape, but other shapes may be used, for example semi-cylindrical, with the curved surface downwards or upwards, or flat.